Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-24
THE MAIN CHANCE.
How Springfield People Have Seized
II iD Investments-The Figures on
Some Western Resi- Estate.
What Purchases Readily Return - Fort
worth Property and the Cash There
is In It for the Buyer.
Illinois State LOnrnel

estate he's occssioned considerable COM
ment in monetary centers. With view
10 obtsining some facts bearing on the
subject, g Journal representative called
on Mr.. G. y, Post OF Post & Co. In re-
ply 10 the questioner he stated:
ST is, of course, impossible TO tell how
much Springfield money is invested in
western realty, but it runs up into seven
figures.
one piece worth SIS per acre; -
owns over $4,000 worth Of city prop
erJy in prominent western city; -j
owns piece of city property cut west
which cost him 1874, 000s short time ago.
purchases for Springfield people amount
to s trife over 100000 since July |, and
the indications are that as much more
will be bought during the present month.
II the daily average continues during the
balance OF the month; as it has been run
ming since the first, something like $50,
600 will go into the southwest for the
month Of September through our ofice
alone"
eyes, some excellent reasons for it.
LULU 40 cNhLOSIS al SASN ELAOAA " VIZ si4S
that investments made in the west during
the past ten years, have been profitable,
and, in the majority OF cases, the percent
age OF gain on the investment has been
high. There is al element Of fascination
about western real estate which is felt
throughout the entire country, and is
caused by the comparative certainty Of
good profits, and the knowledge That but
limited territory remains TO be settled"
"Did the thought ever strike you that
in an exceedingly short time, perhaps Ave
years, the opportunity to open up new
country in the arabic portion OF the
United States will be gone2 This fact
alone is responsible for portion Of the
rush to the southwest"
| DO you believe the movement will con-
tinue for eny length OF time?
81 believe any thoughtful person who
will acquaint himself with the facts will
agree with NE that the present scramble
| for land will continue until it is slI taken
up, and st the present rate it will all be
| taken in q very few years. a gentleman
said to me, during the summer of 1884,
that he firmly believed Kansas would
eventually, and in the next twelve or if
teen years, be settled up to the Colorado
line. My last trip TO Kansas, made q
short time ago, showed that my friend
was right in his prediction, only Re vas,
like the rest OF US, little slow. Three
quick years have spun around and Kan
sss is settled to the Colorado line, while
her best crops this year are N the ex-
IRENE western counties"
"YOu are understood to be in Texas,
Why does your company select thst state
as place for profta BILE investment"
"SimpIe enough. You see Northern
and Western Texas Is Just settling up
and the rush there is tremendous. This
rapid settlement of a new territory pro-
duces some quick and vigorous towns ant
cities; therefore ar opportunity to turI
an honest penny in city property.
"a fact, known to the most superficial
observer, is that large cities are bull
within 800 to 4e0 miles Of each other, q:
supply points for the surrounding terri
tory. The exact location OF these com
mercisl centers Is determined largely by
the railroad managers. Fort Worth h.:
been selected IS the "key city, OF Texas
i. and now has fourteen outlets by rail
Railroad people know that the old cattle
, trail is practically abandoned and that II
order to secure the enormous business
from Texas they must go there for it
? consequently the heavy lines, the Chicago
Rock Island and Pacific, the st. Loui
and San Francisco ("Frisco"\, the Chi
cago, burlington and Quincy, the ChicsgC
> and Alton, and several roads OF less i'm
= pOrtance. each have representative II
! Fort Worth and are laying steel to tina
! city. When the new roads now actual,
, building to Fort Worth are completed
and added to the fourteen outlets now il
? operation, Fort Worth will have NOR
4 railroads. than Kansas City or Omaha ha
y to-day"
:, "Make it grow? Why certainly 1t does
+. and at gait that would astonish thos
n accustomed to the slow growth OF Illinoi
o towns. Springfield is some 1fty-od
i years old and has perhaps 81 600 or %
: 600 people, while Fort Worth is abou
e eleven years old ard has $4,000. When
d western city is selected by railroad pee
!. pie for railroad center and their seleC
/, ton is evidenced by the building OF tn
Il roLds, as in the case Of Fort Worth,
q means the building OF great city"
= It was suggested that people migf
: question the certainly Of such result.
n "It would be curious and novel exp'
d rience TO find ten men in every 100 WI
= would believe It. Take Kansas City 6
:. an illustration: Ten years ago they ha
II between 10000 and $4,000 people, ev
IDENTIFY railroad center, and with q fir
tributary country, and yet, each and ever
year ninety out OF every 100 men wou.
say: 'Oh, she has baen doomed tC
=. high; there are more people mere no
than the country will support; people g.
- foolish 20 invest money here etc, ct
" The ten me nwho did believe in Karsl
~ City and did invest their money ther
2e did so because they had foresight enoui
lie to see that the large overflow
Of this country was pressing west and tllil
a up the country, ind that, instead of ii
-, movement checking up or stopping,
" increases in volume, year By year, b
- cause the ratio Of increase in the numb
e. Of people in the older portions OF t
oe country brings On flock Of youngste
NC each year reaching into the millions, a.
~ they must have place to live.
ne The msn who believes there will
any stop to the western movement IN
the country is filed up, is too sho
sighted to be worthy OF comment. 7
as small minority who have investigated g
en- are clear-heeded enough to view facts
&c their true light, have made money, 81
~ in many cases, large fortunes, in weste
'se commercial centers, while the major
..e of men who are unable to deduct Gle